雨降ると立ち隠るれば山桜
花のしづくにそぼちぬるかな
花のしづくにそぼちぬるかな
- Roma-ji
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Ame furu to tachikakurureba yamazakura hana no shizuku ni sobochinuru kana
- English Translation
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Since the rain was falling
I took shelter where I stood,
under mountain cherries,
and by the blossoms' raindrops
I was drenched through after all.
- Meaning
- Since it was raining I took shelter under a mountain cherry—only to be soaked by the drops falling from its blossoms.
- Commentary
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Spring Poems 53
Headnote: "Cherry blossoms in the rain"
The poet took shelter from the rain under a mountain cherry, only to be soaked instead by drops falling from the blossoms. The light charm of being wetted by flower drops while seeking shelter carries his joy at being beneath the blossoms. Kamo no Mabuchi said the lower verse is in a later manner.
Line 1 means "thinking it was raining."
Line 2 means standing under the tree to hide from the rain.
Line 3 names the tree he sheltered beneath.
Line 4, "the blossoms' raindrops," joins rain and flower.
Line 5: sobotsu means to be soaked through, a word also used in 21; kana expresses wonder.
- Author
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Source
- Kinkaishu
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